18 teams will compete for the English domestic T20 title. Teams are split into 2 divisions (North and South), each containing 9 teams, for the group stage of the competition. During the group stage (from July to September) each club plays 6 of the other teams in the same division twice, home and away. They play the other two teams only once, for a total of 14 games each. Teams receive two points for a win and one point for a tie or if the match is abandoned. Teams are ranked by total points, then net run rate. At the end of the group stage, the top four teams from each group enter the knockout stage. Northants are the defending champions
It is an extremely competitive tournament and high variance from a betting perspective. A lot of talented teams, a fair amount of luck needed with the weather and the shortest format of the game. All this is reflected in it being a 9/1 the field market. As such Ia typically looking for an outsider to give us a run at a value price.
Worcestershire are available at 25/1 (each way half the odds 1.2 available), the 16th biggest price out of 18 counties. From their 14 fixtures they start with four home games, including two against the sides priced higher than them in the outrights (Derbyshire and Leicestershire). Worcestershire are a strong up and coming team, who made it out of their 50 over group, finishing top and currently second in their county championship division. They failed to make the T20 Blast play-off\’s last season with a couple of abandonments costing them. They\’d made the top four in the two previous seasons, so they\’ve shown they can be competitive.
The North group is stereotypically the weaker of the two groups, and with Durham coming in with a points deduction it looks the easier one to qualify from again. Since the change in structure in the last 3 years a “North” county has won the title, including unfashionable Northants last year at a big price. Player-wise they have some wildcards that can win T20 games. Mitchell is the glue that holds the side together. Clarke is a classy player who\’s played for England Lions. Moeen will be available on occasion and is a match-winner. D\’Oliveira is a handy all-rounder and Whiteley is a very powerful striker at the back-end of the innings. Cox is improving with the bat and is an accomplished wicket-keeper. With the ball they were let down by their overseas quicks last year. Henry and Abbott combined for 41.2-0-434-8. John Hastings will be a lot more solid and can contribute late hitting with the bat. New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner is back again, after his spell got cut short last year with injury. Worcestershire look a strong white-ball unit this year and they have enough match-winners to trouble the “big name” sides (they\’ve beaten Yorkshire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire in the RLODC already this season). They look the most under-estimated side in the competition, so I\’m hoping they provide some value at 25-1 each way with green listed bookmakers Sportingbet and PaddyPower.
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